80 LEAF-CLIMBERS. Cuap., II. 
the stem revolve. Hence this plant acquires its 
climbing powers later in life than does the Gloriosa 
lily. According to Mobl (p. 41), Uvularia (Melan- 
thacez) also climbs like Gloriosa. 
These three last-named genera are Monocotyledons ; 
but there is one Dicotyledon, namely Nepenthes, which 
is ranked by Mohl (p. 41) ‘amongst tendril-bearers ; 
and I hear from Dr. Hooker that most of the species 
climb well at Kew. This is effected by the stalk or 
midrib between the leaf and the pitcher coiling round 
any support. The twisted part becomes thicker; but 
I observed in Mr. Veitch’s hothouse that the stalk 
often takes a turn when not in contact with any 
object, and that this twisted part is likewise thickened. 
Two vigorous young plants of N. levis and N. distilla- 
toria, in my hothouse, whilst less than a foot in 
height, showed no sensitiveness in their leaves, and 
had no power of climbing. But when N. levis had 
grown to a height of 16 inches, there were signs of 
these powers. The young leaves when first formed 
stand upright, but soon become inclined; at this 
period they terminate in a stalk or filament, with the 
pitcher at the extremity hardly at all developed. 
The leaves now exhibited slight spontaneous move- 
ments; and when the terminal filaments came into 
contact with a stick, they slowly bent round and 
firmly seized it. But owing to the subsequent 
growth of the leaf, this filament became after a time 
quite slack, though still remaining firmly coiled 
round the stick. Hence it would appear that the 
